A team of enterprising engineers have begun work on a
Reserve ШУУД ҮЗЭХ Strap accessory
for the Apple Watch, which they say can boost the wearable's battery life by 125 percent. Apple has also released official guidelines for third-party straps, opening the doors to companies who want to develop new looks and functionality for the timepiece.
The Reserve Strap team (part of Mutual Mobile) is only at the prototype
design stage right now, but the design has already become more efficient
and streamlined since the Apple Watch was launched. The latest design
uses a direct connection to the device's hidden diagnostic port rather
than a wireless inductive charging method, which should guarantee faster
charging times and higher charging capacity.
The first rendering of the Reserve Strap wrapped around the back of the
Apple Watch, leaving holes for the sensors and LEDs, but the new
incarnation simply clips in and leaves the back of the device
unobstructed. Mutual Mobile founder John Arrow says the 125 percent
estimate is based on initial testing on both the 38 mm and 42 mm Apple
Watch models.
At this stage it's not clear if Apple will allow third-party strap
makers to access the 6-pin diagnostic port on the Apple Watch. There's
no mention of it in the company's new band design guidelinesbut it's
difficult to see how Apple could stop determined users from accessing it
– the Reserve Strap team is planning to provide a special tool to
enable users to flip it open.
Based on the documents supplied by Apple it seems the Cupertino company
wants accessory makers to focus on the style and fashion of their straps
rather than battery charging or additional functionality (like extra
sensors). We'll have to wait and see how much control it can exercise
over what third-party manufacturers do with their straps. Environmental
requirements are also set out in the guidelines.
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